Hosiery



March l5, 1932. El B. BEACHAM L8499783 HosIERY Filed Nov. '7, 1929 DU/ LSIDE WITNESSE Y W l ATTORNEYS,

Patented Mar. 15, 1932 HOSIERY Application filed November 7, 1929.Serial No. 405,545.

This invention relates to hosiery and has reference to stockings of thefull fashioned variety knit on fiat machines as well as to seamlessstockings produced on circular machines.

In plain knit fabrics (as distinguished from rib fabrics) the oppositefaces are entirely different in appearance, the one ordinarily known asthe right side in which the needle wales are prominent, beinglongitudinally lined or ribbed, and thus somewhat rough in appearance,while the opposite or reverse side in which the rounded ends of thefabric loops lay more or less horizontally, is finer in texture andtherefore smoother by contrast. In fine gage silk fabrics characteristicof chiffon hosiery such as worn by women at the present time, thedifference between opposite faces is even more pronounced, that is tosay, the lines or ribs on the rougher right side of the fabric refiectlight with a glossy effect, whereas the smooth reverse side of thefabric is comparatively dull. The latter effect enhanced by the delicacyof the texture, is preferred by many since it blends more readily withthe skin: and for this reason women'may be seen wearing their stockingsinside out, notwithstanding exposure of the unsightly ribs of the seamsat the rear of the stockings and the backs of the welts (which areusually knit from cotton yarn) as well as of the cotton splicing yarnsin the reinforced high heel areas above the shoe tops.

It is to be observed, however, that while the right side of ordinarypresent-day silk stockings has a glossier appearance, and the reverseside looks duller, yet as a matter of fact the reverse really reflectsmore light than the right side, The peculiar difference seems to be dueto the fact that at the reverse side the less exposed threads lie nearerthe surface, so the mean plane of the refiecting areas is higher, thesurface is smootherand less pcnetrable to the light, and the ultimateSurface area that receives and absorbs light is less-owing to thesmaller depth of the interstices amongst the threads. At the right side,on the other hand, the interstitial shad- 5 ows are deeper, and thecontrast betweenv lan improved method of making stockingsy shadows andhigh lights is more pronounced,-whence the greater glossiness.

The purpose of my invention is to provide whereby the objectionalfeatures to which attention has been directed above are entirelyobviated so th'at the stockings may be worn with the reverse face of thefabric at the outside without any semblance of unsightliness.

In the drawings, Fig. I is a view of a fullfashioned stocking blank asknitted in accordance with my invention, showing the glossy, rough waleside of the fabric, which is at the inside of my finished stocking asworn. Y

Fig. II is a similar reverse view of the same blank, showing thedull,smooth side of the fabric, which is at the outside of my finishedstocking as worn.

Fig. III is an enlarged view of the stocking fabric as worn, with thedull, smooth side outside,the portion 4of the fabric shown being thatindicated by the dot and dash rectangle A in Fig. II,-including cottonreinforcement in the right-hand portion, at the inside.

Fig. IV is a fragmentary view of the finished stocking from behind, asworn, with the seam inside and the dull, smooth side of the fabricoutside.-

Fig. V is adiagrammatic sectional view of the finished stocking, asworn, with the seam inside.

The procedure in producing full fashioned hosiery on flat knittingmachines in accordancewith my invention, with use incidentally of cottonyarn to knit that half of the welt which is to be concealed and also tosplice the high heel and sole areas, is as follows: At the beginning, asuitable length of welt fabric 6 is knit with a main silk body yarn, andfollowed by knitting of a corresponding length of fabric 7 with cottonyarn. The welt is then turned at 8 as ordinarily, but with the cottonfabric 7 outermost, as naturally follows from the preceding reversal inthe usual order of knitting of the portions 6 and 7. The fashioned legportion 9 of theu stocking blank is next knit with the main silk bodyyarn down to the point where the 10 high heel portions 10, 10 are to becommenced, when cotton splicing yarns 11 (Figs. I and III) areintroduced for the purposes of reinforcement during ensuing knitting ofthe high heel 10, 10 and the heel tabs 12, 12, the feeding of the cottonyarns 1l being however so controlled that the main silk or body yarn isplated over the loops formed by said cotton yarns, i. e., thereinforcing cotton lies at the inside of the stocking when used or wornwith the reversed main yarn outermost. ln transferring the finished legblank onto a transfer bar in preparation for transfer to the footer, theloose threads of the gusset are permitted to remain on the right side ofthe fabric instead of being thrust between the transfer bar points asordinarily. rl`he fabric loops now on the point bar are impaled in theknown manner upon the needles of the footer in readiness for theknitting of a fashioned foot in direct continuation of the leg blank.Here again the cotton splicing yarn 11 for reinforcing the sole segments13, 13 and the stocking toe 14 are so fed as to underlie the main silkbody yarn on therev-erse face of the fabric. In seaming the completedflat'proled stocking blank, the fabric is folded with the reversesmooth, dull face innermost (instead of the right face innermost asusual), the superposed rough selvage edges 15, 15 united by over edgestitching, and the stocking finally turned so that the reverse face ofthe fabric is on the outside. (Figs. IV and V.)

Thus in full fashioned reverse stockings produced in accordance with myinvention, the cotton yarns 11 used to splice or plate the reinforcedareas of the high heels 10, 10 and foot soles 13, 13 are entirelyobscured, and the ridges of the rear seams at 15, 15 and the cottonbacking 7 of the welts 6 concealed, with avoidance of the unsightlyaspects of ordinary stockings worn inside out.

A generally similar procedure may obviously be followed in theproduction of full fashioned hosiery wherein split knitting is resortedto in the fabrication of the reinforced portions of the stockings.

To produce seamless reverse hosiery in accordance with my invention oncircular knitting machines, it is only requisite that the feeding of thesplicing yarn be so controlled as to predetermine disposal of the latterbeneath the silk on the reverse face of the fabric, and to run up theback seams with the tubular blanks laid flat, right glossy face of thefabric innermost, so that the ridges of the seams are concealed when thestocking is turned, as in the case of the full fashioned hose previouslydescribed.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

` 1. The method of manufacturing hosiery,` intended to be worn with thereverse face of the fabric at the outside, which comprises Lseaffee 2.The method of manufacturing hosiery,

intended to be worn with the reverse face of the fabric at the outside,which comprises knitting a stocking blank with a main or body yarn, andincidentally producing reinforced portions with splicing yarnincorporated so that in the fabric as used the loops formed from itunderlie those formed from the main yarn on the outwardly exposedreverse face of the fabric, and seaming the blank longitudinally of theback so that the ridge of the seam is disposed at the inside of thestocking when the latter is worn as aforesaid.

3. As a new article of manufacture, a stocking with the reverse face ofthe fabric at the outside and with reinforced portions wherein loopsformed from a main or body yarn occupy the outwardly exposed reverseface of the fabric, as used, in superimposition upon the loops formedfrom an additional or splicing yarn.

4. As a new article of manufacture, a stocking with the reverse face ofthe fabric atl the outside and with reinforced portions wherein loopsformed. from a main or body yarn occupy the outwardly exposed reverseface of the fabric in superimposition u on the loops formed from anadditional or sp icing yarn, and with the ridge of a longitudi` nal seamalong the back disposed at the inside of the stocking.

5. A full-fashioned hose blank having a smooth face and a rough face andlated heel tabs, in which the plating is substantially all on the roughface.

6. A stocking having a smooth face and a rough face with reinforced heelportions and a seam presenting a rough selvage, in which the smooth faceof the stockin is on the outside and the rough selvage o the seam andthe reinforced portions are on the inside of the stocking.

7. lln the process of knitting a hose blank having a smooth face and arough face and plated heel tabs, the step of knitting the leg portion ofthe blank from the main yarn in substantially the usual way vdown to theheel tabs, then knitting the plating on the rough face of the blank.

8. ln the process of making a full fashioned stocking having a smoothface and a rough face and plated heel tabs, the steps of knitting theleg portion of the blank from the main yarn in substantially the usualway down to the heel tabs, then knitting the plating on the rough faceof the blank, then knitting on the foot, and then seaming the stockingblank so that the plated yarn of the heel is on the inside of thestocklng.

9. A plated full fashioned stockin having a rough face and a smooth faceang a seam presenting a rough selvage, in which the smooth face of thestocking is on the outside and the rough selvage of the seam and theplating are on the inside of the stocking.

10. In the process of making a stocking having a smooth face and a roughface and plated heel tabs, the steps of knitting the leg portion of theblank from the main yarn in substantially the usual Way down to the heeltabs, then knitting the'plating on the rouh ace of the blank, and thenknitting on t e oot. i

In testimony whereof, ,I have hereunto signed my name at Easton,Pennsylvania, this 5th clay of November, 1929.

EDWIN BRAND BEACHAM.

